He turns 18 a week on Saturday, with the club currently in negotiations over a first professional contract.

The player has already intimated new terms can wait until his birthday, and Rodgers has stressed he is confident there will not be any hitches, but that has not stopped the speculation about the teenager's future.

Rodgers knows how valuable Sterling can be to his side but he believes it is a two-way street and has urged him to recognise the importance of the Reds in his development.